WT/MIN(24)/ST/126  
 
26 February  2024 
(24-1693) Page: 1/2 
Ministerial Conference  
Thirteenth Session  
Abu Dhabi, 26 -29 February 2024  Original: English  
 
 
STATEMENT BY H.E. MR MARKIYAN DMYTRASEVYCH  
DEPUTY MINISTER OF AGRARIAN POLICY AND FOOD  
UKRAINE  
This WTO Ministerial Conference (MC13) is being held at extremely critical times for the world and 
against the background of increasing stress on the global trading system.  
 
Today my country Ukraine is already for two complete years every day and night facing its most 
serious challenges since achieving its independence. The ongoing war unleashed by Russia has 
already resulted in  significant loss of life, unprecedented displacement, internally and towards 
neighbouring countries, devastating destruction of infrastructure and other numerous negative 
repercussions for trade universe.  
 
Nevertheless, Ukraine demonstrated utmost flexib ility during the negotiations in order to achieve 
meaningful progress on the outcome document as well as tangible results at MC13.  
  
In this context, I would like to express Ukraine's appreciation to the distinguished WTO Members 
and WTO Secretariat for co nsiderable efforts undertaken and work done with regard to challenging 
topics so far.  
 
This Ministerial is a critical opportunity for engagement and resolute commitment to positive and 
transformative change. We as WTO Members have done a lot and we should  continue to be driven 
by actions and progress, united by values and committed to further development of international 
trade to the benefit of people.  
 
Ukraine supports the efforts made by the WTO Members in ensuring trade inclusivity. Over the last 
few y ears, our collaborative work allowed us to significantly advance discussions on such acute 
issues as trade and gender, environment, development and MSMEs. Ukraine is glad to be part of 
such significant initiatives and is ready to engage constructively in t he further development and 
promotion of sustainable trade.  
 
With regards to ensuring sustainability in the global trade, Ukraine reiterates its commitment to 
safeguard global food security, improve lives for future generations and strengthen the multilater al 
trading system. Ukraine is honored to be among the first Members submitting acceptance of the 
Protocol of the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies and is set to go full throttle in order to achieve a 
meaningful reduction in subsidies contributing to overcap acity and overfishing and maintain an 
effective management of the fisheries resources. Luckily, we won't be doing it alone.  
 
Ukraine commends WTO Members for engaging eagerly and constructively in the second wave of 
negotiations to curbing subsidies contributing to overcapacity and overfishing. We have a common 
goal to agree on additional fisheries subsidies disciplines further enhancing those of the Agreement 
on Fisheries Subsidies and all the means to make MC13 margins a place to find a re alistic landing 
zone. Let's do it twice and multiply the historical success of MC12.  
 
In the context of agricultural negotiations, Ukraine would like to emphasize the importance of 
completing the long overdue task of substantial and progressive liberalizat ion of agricultural 
markets, bearing in mind non -trade concerns and the need to provide special and differential 
treatment to developing Members. We hope that this spirit will be preserved to achieve holistic, WT/MIN(24)/ST/126  
 
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  balanced, and incentivizing result at MC13. We  cannot afford not to harvest on agriculture at this 
Ministerial.  
 
Ukraine remains a staunch supporter of the moratorium on customs duties on electronic 
transmissions, including content. A decision to maintain the moratorium should be an important 
element of a successful MC13 outcome package.  
 
Ukraine is supportive of the inclusion of development provisions in the Ministerial Declaration to 
reflect the needs of developing and least developed countries. Rapid developments in many spheres 
of international tra de create new challenges and new points of interest, which we cannot ignore. In 
this context, we reiterate that special situation of Members who have joined the WTO, including 
Ukraine, in accordance with Article XII of the Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization, 
should be taken into account and reflected in the MC13 outcome document.  
 
The WTO dispute settlement reform remains Ukraine's undeniable priority. We acknowledge the 
challenges and concerns with respect to the dispute settlement system  including those related to 
the Appellate Body, and recognize the importance of further discussions with the view to having a 
fully and well -functioning dispute settlement system accessible to all Members by 2024.  
 
From Ukraine's perspective, one of the k ey challenges for the WTO today is to find a way to ensure 
efficient and needs -based mechanism of dealing with trade concerns. Resolving trade tensions 
through raising trade concerns presents a viable alternative to the currently overburdened Dispute 
Settlement System. Searching for potential options and possible 'doable' solutions to improve trade 
concerns practice and strengthen the work of regular bodies would have a positive impact on the 
membership and its stakeholders.  
 
The present and the future of t rade should be digital, green and inclusive and we should build it 
together with rules and actions. Let's follow the direction of converging positions and achieving 
consensus outcomes on challenging topics and mainstreaming trade into development strategie s. 
 
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